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33 




Traditionary r ss 



EXTANT AMONG THE 



TAPOIA INDIANS 



INHABITING THE VALLEY OF THE MIDDLE AMAZON IN 



NORTHERN BRAZIL, 



COLLATED BY 

EDWARD SPRAGUE RAND, 

PARA, BRAZIL, 



a literal translation from notes taken of the 
narrations of the natives in their^ ^ 
, , > ■ ■ own tonqu^. 1 , ; ' ' - ' '« \/' 



,s° o » 'i, », 




GEO. S. DAVIS, DETROIT, MICH., U. S. A. 

Ib82. 






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PREFACE. 



These fables as here submitted are literal re- 
productions of traditions communicated with 
great fidelity through many generations of the 
natives of Brazil. Mr. Rand in his botanical 
researches in the Valley of the Amazon was 
necessarily brought into intimate relations with 
these tribes, and being frequently entertained at 
different points with the narrations of these 
fables, was so struck with the remarkable simi- 
larity of the language of each narrator, that he 
determined to reproduce it verbatim. He has 
kindly presented us with a translation of his 
notes and the fables are now for the first time 
committed to type, in the hope and belief that 
they may prove interesting from their very 
naivete. 

EDITOR. 



The Jaboti* and the Onca. 






A 



■ JABOTI was once climbing up a large Sipo.f 
A Tiger Cat passing by said: "What are you 
doing Jaboti?" "Why, Onca, I am playing." 
"What are you playing?" said the On$a. "Why, 
I am jumping; do you wish to see how I jump ? 
I will climb up again." Said the Onca: "Climb 
up and let me see." The Jaboti had previously 
fixed in the ground a stout stick of Praconvula 
wood, the top of which he had sharpened. He 
climbed up the sipo and let himself fall upon the 
stick, from which striking upon his hard shell, he 
rebounded to the ground unhurt. Said the Onca: 
"You know nothing about climbing, Jaboti; I can 
do it better than you." So the Onca climbed up 
. the sipo far higher than the Jaboti and let himself 

( / fall, as the Jaboti had done, but striking upon the 

pointed stake it impaled him, piercing his belly 
and coming out through his back, and he died 
miserably. Then the Jaboti brought a large knife 
and cut off the legs of the Onca, Taking off the 
skin and flesh, he cleaned the bones, and piercing 
them with holes, he made a flute. Then he went 
playing through the wood-paths and singing, "My 
flute is the bones of an Onca; my flute is the 
bones of an Onca." The father of the Onca heard 
him, and coming into the path, called; "What are 
you singing, Jaboti?" "I am only saying, 'I 
have my flute,' " replied the Jaboti. "But I heard 

♦Land turtle or tortoise. 

tAny climbing vine is so-called in Brazil. 



— 8 — 

you saying, 'My flute is the bones of an Onca,'" 
said the Onca. "Oh, no; you did not hear me well," 
rejoined the Jaboti. "It is well," said the Onca; 
"adios, I am going away." But he only went a 
short distance, and hid in the wood. The Jaboti 
thinking him gone, went on singing as before, 
"My flute is the bones of an Onca." But the 
Onca listening, said to himself, "O, Jaboti, if I 
do not eat you, no one shall; I will go and wait 
for you at the door of your hole." So the Onca 
went to the Jaboti's house and waited for him at 
the door. In a little while the Jaboti arrived, and 
seeing the On$a, called out: "What are you doing 
there, Onca?" "I am only looking round." "And 
why are you looking round my house?" "O, 
Jaboti," said the Onca, "your day has come, for 
to-day I will eat you, because you have killed my 
son." "Well," said the Jaboti, "if you were a 
man, perhaps you could; but you are only an 
Onca." "It makes no difference," replied the Onca, 
"I will catch you by the legs when you are enter- 
ing your hole." So the Jaboti crawled into his 
hole, laughing to himseli at the Onca. But the 
Onca caught him by the hind leg and held him 
fast. "O, Onca," said the Jaboti, "do you think 
you have caught me ? You have only hold of the 
root of a tree." So the Onca let go, and the 
Jaboti going into his hole, took his flute and sang, 
"My flute is the bones of an Onca." "May the 
devil take you," said the Onca; "but I will wait 
for you here; when you come out I will catch you." 
But the Jaboti was tired and went to sleep and slept 
for three days and three nights. The Onca waited 
long, but at last, tired and hungry, went away, 
and so the Jaboti escaped. 



9 - 



The Opossum and the Jaboti. 

A Macoura (Opossum) once met a Jaboti under 
a Tapariba* tree, -where he was eating the yellow 
fruit. ''What are you doing, Jaboti," said the 
Opossum. "Do you not see I am filling my belly 
with this fruit?" replied the Jaboti. "Which of 
us do you think could endure hunger longest; for 
a year, for example?" said the Opossum. "I 
could," said the Jaboti. "It is impossible," replied 
the Opossum. "No, it is true," said the Jaboti. 
"Well, then," rejoined the Opossum, "at the end 
of this week you go into your hole and I will 
shut you up there." And so it was arranged, and 
the Jaboti went into his hole and the Opossum 
sharpening wooden stakes drove them into the 
ground at the mouth at the hole, so that the 
Jaboti could not escape, for he knew that if he 
only filled in the earth the Jaboti would dig out. 
As the Opossum was going away the Jaboti called, 
"Fox, Fox, let me know when the Tapariba has 
ripe fruit again." "It is well," said the Opossum, 
"I will not forget to call you." So the Opossum 
went way and for nine months left the Jaboti 
shut up in his hole. Then he returned to the 
hole and called, "O, Jaboti, the Tapariba has 
borne flowers, has given fruit, the fruit has 
ripened, has fallen to the ground and all is 'fin- 
ished; now I have come to call you." "Who 
knocks and calls at my door?" said the Jaboti. 
"It is I," replied the Opossum. "Is the Tapariba 
ripe?" "It is all passed," said the Opossum. 



* Sj>ondias Iutea y very plenty in the valley of the middle 
Amazon. All wild animals are very fond of the acid vellow 
fruit. 



TO 

"But why did you not call me?" "O, I could 
not take the trouble; it was not time for you to 
come out," said the Opossum. "All right, call me 
when the Tapariba is again ripe," said the Jaboti. 
"All right, I will not forget," replied the Opossum, 
and he went away. At the end of the year the 
Opossum returned and called, "Jaboti, Jaboti !" 
"Who are you," said the Jaboti. "I am your 
friend, the Opossum." "Why do you call me; is 
the Tapariba ripe?" "No, but it is the end of 
the year." "O, then," said the Jaboti, "it is time 
for you to go into my hole and I will shut you 
up just as you have shut me. Let me see if you 
can endure hunger for one year as I have." 
"Why not," said the Opossum, "I have eaten 
many chickens, plenty of pine apples and much 
fruit; my stomach is well filled. I can stand hun- 
ger as well as you can." "All right, go in," said 
the Jaboti. So the Opossum entered the hole and 
Jaboti drove in the sticks and shut him up tight. 
Then he went away to drink water, to eat fruit, 
and to fill his belly, for he was very hungry. At 
the end of three weeks he went to the hole and 
called, "How are you, O, my friend, Opos- 
sum?" "I am very weak; can you tell 
me whether the hens have laid eggs 
and have big chickens?" "Yes," replied the 
Jaboti, ."the eggs are laid and there are big Cocks 
and Pullets." "Why did you not call me?" said 
the Opossum. "Because it was not time for you 
to come out." "Well, then call me when they get 
a little larger." "I will not forget, adios," said 
the Jaboti, and he went away. At the end of the 
fourth week the Jaboti returned and called: "O! 
my friend Opossum, how are you?" But the 



II 



Opossum did not reply, for he had starved to. 
death and the worms were eating him. The 
Jaboti had to find another house, but he had proved 
that he was stronger than the Opossum. 



The Fox and the Tiger Cat. 

There was once a Raposa (Fox) and a Couello 
(Tiger or Wild Cat) who were very fond of play- 
ing games together. Every day when they had 
done playing the Fox was accustomed to catch the 
chickens in the neighborhood, for he became very 
hungry. Soon, however, he became well known 
and the neighbors tried to shoot him. So fright- 
ened he avoided places where he was known and 
began to eat the Chickens of the Wild Cat, for the 
Wild Cat liked chickens and had a great many. 
Discovering this the Wild Cat was very angry with 
the Fox, and said to the neighbors: "That Fox is 
a rascal, we must kill him." "But how can we 
catch him?" said the neighbors. "We must set 
sentinels all along the bank of the river," said the 
Tiger Cat, "for after eating the Fox is very thirsty 
and always comes to the river to drink, and there 
they can shoot him; and if he does not come to 
drink he will die of thirst." Then the Tiger Cat 
went to the Fox and said: "O, my friend! all the 
neighbors are conspiring against you, for they are 
very angry because you have eaten all their 
chickens, and all the parts of the river are watched 
so that you cannot go to drink." "Thank you, 
my friend," replied the Fox; for three days I will 
not go to the river to drink."* So for three days 
and three nights the Fox roamed through the 
woods and camps, eating but drinking nothing. 



12 

At the end of that time he was very thirsty, when, 
thinking what he should do, he saw a black man 
driving a cart loaded with pots of molasses which 
he was taking into the city to sell. "If I do not 
drink," said the Fox, "I shall die of thirst. I 
must make a fool of this black man." So he ran 
through the woods and came out into the road 
ahead of the cart and laid himself down in the 
road pretending he was dead. When the cart came 
up the black man said: " Hillao ! here is a dead 
Fox; what could have killed him ?" Then he 
kicked the Fox, and the Fox not stirring, he said: 
"Truly, he is dead," and he passed on going to 
the city. No sooner was he out of sight 
than the Fox jumped up, ran through the woods 
in advance of the cart, and again laid down in the 
road feigning death. The black man, on coming 
up, said: "Why, here is another dead Fox;" but 
he passed on along the road. Then up jumped 
the Fox, and running before, again lay in the road 
as dead. When the black man came up he ex- 
claimed, "Why, what has happened to the Foxes? 
I saw one dead back there, another there, and here 
is the third. I will go back and get the others, 
for I can skin them, sell the skins, and can drink 
much caxa^a. "* So he left his cart and went back 
to get the other Foxes, first throwing the dead Fox 
into the cart. As soon as he was gone the Fox 
broke a pot of molasses, and rolling in it, covered 
all his fur with it. Then he jumped down, ran to 
the woods, and finding a hollow full of dried leaves, 
rolled among them; they all clung to his fur, and 
he was not a Fox any more. Then he said : "At 
six o'clock to-night I will go and drink." When 

*A weak rum in common use in the Amazons. 



__ I3 _ 

he approached the brink of the river, a sentinel 
called, "Who comes there?" "It is I," replied the 
Fox. "Who are you?" said the sentinel. "I am 
the King of the animals, who wishes to drink, for 
I am thirsty," replied the Fox. "It is well; you 
may drink," said the sentinel, "if you are not the 
Fox." "O no, I am not a Fox, but the King of 
animals, and for a year and six months I have not 
tasted water." "Then drink," said the sentinel, 
"for you must be very thirsty." So the Fox drank 
all he wished. Just as he had finished, another 
sentinel approached and said, "Is not that the Fox 
drinking?" "O no," replied the first, "that is not 
the color of a Fox, it is the King of animals." 
But, the Fox having drank his fill, ran up the bank 
and into the woods, calling back, "Yes, I am the 
Fox; I am the Fox, and I have drank water." 
The sentinels gave chase, but the Fox ran into the 
thick woods where they could not follow, and they 
never caught him. And the Tiger Cat never for 
gave the Fox and nevermore played games with 
him. 



The Onca, the Dog and the Goat. 

An Onca (Jaguar) was once on very friendly 
terms with a Dog and a Goat Every Sunday he 
invited them both to his house to play cards. He 
did not, however, like the Goat as well as the Dog; 
in fact he was a little afraid of the Dog but he had 
it in his mind to some day make a meal of the 
Goat. Now the Dog was very cunning, but the 
Goat was a very stupid animal. One day, when 
they were playing, the Onca said every time he 
threw a card down on the table, "Why should I 
go to the woods to seek what I have in the house?" 



— 14 — 

The Dog, understanding him, threw down a card 
exclaiming, "If one does not know how to run he 
must walk immediately," winking at the Goat to 
intimate he was in danger. The Goat, taking the 
hint, threw down his card, exclaiming: "What a 
fool I was to come here." Now the Dog did not 
wish the Onca to kill the Goat, so he said in the 
midst of the game: "Excuse me, my friend Onca, 
I must go out a minute, ' winking again at the 
Goat. Said the Goat: "I will go with you." As 
soon as they were in the next room the Dog said: 
"O, my friend Goat, the Onca intends to kill you; 
but he cannot seize you when his hands are full 
of cards. Now the next time I say, 'if one does 
not know how to run he must walk immediately,' 
do you make some excuse to go out again, and 
as soon as you are outside go as fast as you can 
to the grass on the bank of the river.* They re- 
turned to the room and resumed the game, and 
when the Dog next called as agreed, the Goat 
said: "Excuse me, my friend, again a moment, 
for I have a very bad stomach ache." "Do not 
keep us waiting long," said the Onca, whose hands 
were full of cards. "O, no," said the Goat, "I 
will come right back." But as soon as he got out- 
side, he went as fast as he could to the bank of 
the river. After waiting a while for the Goat's re- 
turn, the Onca and the Dog went out to find him. 
The Onca went to the Goat's house, but the Dog 
knowing where the Goat was, went to the river. 
Finding the Goat there, he said to him: "The 
Onca will soon be here; get into this hole and I 
will cover yon with these great tufts of grass; 

*Igaripf, literally canoe path, small deep channels very com- 
mon on the Amazon. 



— i5 — 

make yourself as small as you can and keep very 
still, like a great piece of earth. The Goat did as 
directed, and soon the Dog saw the Onca coming 
to the river, for, not finding the Goat, he intended 
to make a dinner off the Dog. But the Dog sus- 
pecting him as soon as he came near, jumped into 
the water and swam to the other side. The Onca 
coming to the brink, called out: "O, Dog, you 
and the Goat are very cunning; I intended to eat 
the Goat first, and you afterwards." "O, yes," re- 
plied the Dog, "we are much more cunning than 
you are; you are no good; why! if you had any 
strength, you would throw that great lump of 
earth at me and kill me." The Onca, enraged, 
seized what he thought was really a' lump of earth, 
and threw it across at the Dog. But as it was 
going through the air, the Goat cried: "Baa, baa," 
and the Onca saw how he had been fooled. And so 
the Goat who could not swim crossed the river. The 
Dog and the goat then went into the bushes, where 
the Dog hid the Goat, covering him up with grass 
and dried leaves. Then he returned to the bank 
of the river and began jeering and laughing at the 
Onca. Now, the Onca did not like the water, but 
at last, greatly enraged, he exclaimed: "O, Dog, 
I will catch you and eat you for my dinner," and 
plunging into the river he began to swim across. 
Then the Dog ran into the woods, but he soon heard 
the Onca following him. Now they were upon an 
island, and the Dog, running across, saw a man 
fishing for Piraracu* in a canoe on the river. So he 
went into the tall grass and began to howl. The 



^Literally l red fish.' Sura n t %igas— A very large fish com- 
mon in the Amason and one of the chief articles of food of the 
natives. 



— 16 — 

man, hearing, said, "What can a Dog be doing 
here? I will go and see." So he turned his canoe 
to the land, and just as the Onca came out of the 
woods, the Dog jumped into the canoe. "Ah, my 
friend," said the man, "if I only had my gun I 
would kill you." So the Goat and the Dog es- 
caped, and the Onca lost his dinner, and they never 
played cards any more. 



The Man and the Cutia.* 

A Cutia, once walking in the woods, found a 
Co-che-che-ri-ba tree, the ground beneath which was 
covered with the ripe yellow fruit. Having eaten 
his fill he returned to his house. All his friends, 
noticing that his stomach was very full, asked him 
what he had been eating. "O," he replied, "I 
have eaten well;" but he would tell them no more, 
and went into his hole. He was so happy there 
that he began to sing 

li O que fruta tera 
Co-che-che-. i-ba." 

But his neighbors heard him and asked, "Where 
is the Co-che-che-ri ba?" But he only replied, "It is 
in the woods, very far away," and would tell them 
no more. So on the morrow they watched him 
when he went out, and following at a distance, 
soon found him making his breakfast under the 
tree. All be^an to eat, but were soon disturbed 
by a young girl who, seeing the fruit lying thick 
on the ground, began to gather it up, to eat and 
to nli an empty coia which she had. The Cutias 
all ran into the woods and waited. A Man chanced 



*A small fruit-eating- rodent very common in Brazil, 



— i7 — 

to come that way, and, seeing the Girl alone un- 
der the tree, he joined her, and after a little began 
to k'jss and embrace her. The Girl resisted, but 
the Man, thinking no one was near, persisted. 
Then all the Cutias, who had been watching, be- 
gan to sing 

u O que fruta tera, 

Co-che-che-ri-ba. "' 

The Man, frightened, left the Girl, who ran along 
the path to the village, the Cutias accompanying 
her, singing 

"O que fruta tera, 

Co-che-che-ri ba." 

Arriving at her house she told her mother the 
whole story, who called the Man to account for 
insulting the Girl. But the Man was very angry 
and said, "I will make a dinner of those Cutias." 
So he took his gun, and going to the wood, climbed 
into the Co-che-che-ri-ba tree and waited. The 
Cutias, returning to the tree, scented the footsteps 
of the Man. So instead of going to the tree, they 
went into the thick woods near and all began to 
sing 

il O que fruta tera, 

Co- che-che-ri-ba." 

The Man waited and waited, but the Cutias 
were too cunning for him, and at last tired out he 
came down and went away. Then the Cutias eat 
their fill of fruit, but the Man lost both his ven- 
gence and his dinner. 



— iS 



The Dog, the Cat and the Rat. 

In times past the animals all lived together in 
peace. A certain Dog and Cat were particular 
friends, but the Dog was a slave and had to work 
hard for his Master. He often complained to the 
Cat, "O, my friend, I am weary of life, for I 
have to work all the time, and have no leisure 
for myself." Now the Cat wished to help him, 
and one day she said to the Dog, "Why do you 
not ask your Master to give you your liberty ?" 
The Dog thought over the matter, and concluding 
to follow the Cat's advice, went to his Master and 
asked him to give him his freedom. His Master, 
after awhile, consented, and, taking a pen, wrote 
out the Dog's freedom papers. The Dog, greatly 
delighted, carried them to the Cat and said, "O, 
my best of friends, guard these very carefully for 
me." "That I will," replied the Cat. Then the 
Dog, emancipated and no longer a slave, went 
walking proudly through the village and did no 
more work. The Cat, having the papers, bethought 
herself where to keep them most safely. Now the 
Cat was a friend of the Rat, and calling him, she 
said, "O, my friend, take these papers and take 
care of them for me in your hole." So the Rat 
carried the papers into his hole. Now the wife of 
the Rat was about to be confined, and the Rat 
gnawed the freedom papers of the Dog into strips 
and made a bed for his wife. The neighbors, see- 
ing the Dog walking independently through the 
streets, asked him why he was not working. 
"My Master has given me my freedom," he re- 
plied. But the neighbors did not believe him and 
went to his former Master to ascertain the truth. 



— i 9 — 

"It is true," said the Master, and calling the Dog, 
he bade him go and get his emancipation papers 
to show them. Then the Dog went to the Cat, 
and said, "Give me the papers which I gave you 
to take care of." "I will get them," said the Cat. 
So she went to the Rat's hole and called, "O, my 
friend!" "What do you want?" said the Rat. 
"Give me the papers which I gave you to take 
care of." "I will bring them," said the Rat. So 
he brought the papers, all gnawed into strips, 
dirty, and o( no value. "What is this?" said the 
Cat. "O, my friend, forgive me !" replied the 
Rat, but my wife was about to be confined, and I 
had no hammock for her, so I used these papers 
to make her a bed." "May the Devil take you ! 
You are a rascal?" said the Cat. Then the Cat 
went to the Dog, and showing him the papers, told 
him the story. The Dog, very angry, replied, "You 
are an unfaithful friend. I will punish you, for 
you have wrought ill to me." And he sprung upon 
the Cat and bit and tore her. The Cat escaping 
went to the hole of the Rat and called "I have 
come to punish you for your faithlessness." And 
she caught the Rat and killed and eat him. And 
ever since that time Dogs have hated Cats, Cats 
have eaten Rats, and the Dog has ever been the 
slave of Man. 



The Monkey Who Cut Off His Tail. 

Once there was an old Monkey who had a son 
who was always in mischief and who gave him a 
great deal of trouble. One day the son said to his 
father: " O, my father! I am going to cut off my 
tail." "Why do you wish to cut off your tail?" 
inquired the father. "O! it is in my way and I 



20 

want to cut it off." "Such a thing would be a great 
disgrace," said the father. "But I will do it," 
replied the son. "If you do, never enter my house 
again," said the father. The young Monkey, mak- 
ing faces at his father, ran out and went to the 
Barber's. "O, Barber!" said he, "cut off my tail 
for me." "Why do you wish your tail cut off?" 
asked the Barber. "I wish it; I wish it; I wish 
it;" said the Monkey. Without more words the 
Barber took his razor and sliced the Monkey's 
tail off clean. The Monkey ran home to his 
father's, and the Barber taking the Monkey's tail 
threw it up on the roof of the house. The Mon- 
key, seeing his father, said: "See, my father, the 
Barber has cut off my tail." "Where is it?" asked 
his father. "I do not know," said the son. "Go 
and get your tail, or never enter my house again." 
Then the young Monkey went to the Barber's and 
said: "O, Barber! give me my tail." "I do not 
know where it is," said the Barber. "Then go 
and look for it," said the Monkey, "for my father 
is very angry with me." The Barber went out to 
look for the tail, and while he was gone the Mon- 
key seeing the razor lying on the bench, secured 
it and ran away into the woods. Soon he came 
to a house where an Old Woman was scaling some 
little Fish with a piece of thin wood. "Old Woman, 
give me some Fish," said he. "I cannot." she 
replied. "I have but very few. " "But how would 
you like this to scale your Fish ?" said the Monkey 
holding up the razor. "O! it is very good; give 
it to me and I will give you two Fish," said the 
woman. "Agreed," said the Monkey. "Now give 
me a little farinah* to eat with my Fish." The 

*Made of mandioca and used instead of bread in Brazil. 



2 1 

Old Woman went into the house to get the farinah 
and as soon -as her back was turned the Monkey 
seized all the Fish but two and ran away. The 
Woman returning made a great outcry, but there 
being no help, scaled the two remaining 
Fish, and taking the basin of dirty water threw 
it over the bank into the igarapi, but, for- 
getting the razor, she had neglected to 
take it out of the water, and it sank to the bot- 
tom and was lost. The Monkey went on through 
the woods, and coming to another house, he saw 
the owner playing a fine violin. "I will give you 
the best razor in the world for your violin," said 
the Monkey, "Let me see it," said the Man. "I 
will go and get it." So the Monkey returned to 
the house of the old Woman and called: "Old 
Woman, give me my razor, and I will give you your 
fish." "Alas! I cannot," said the Woman, "for it 
is lost in the igarapi." "Then you will not get 
your fish," said the Monkey, and returning to the 
Man, he said: "I cannot find the razor, but I have 
some nice fish, if you will get some farinah we 
will have a dinner." The man went to get the 
farinah, and during his absence the Monkey took 
the violin from the table and ran away with both 
fish and violin. Coming to another house, he saw 
a lot of children playing, and he called: "Little 
ones, do you wish to eat fish?" "Yes, yes," cried 
all the children, "we are very hungry." But 
while the children were busy eating, the Monkey 
seized a baby from the ground and ran away with 
it. Coming to another house, he saw a Woman 
and said to her: "Do you want a child !" "Yes," 
said the Woman, "for I have none. O, Monkey 
what a beautiful little child!" The Monkey gave 



22 

her the child and returned to the house of his 
father, playing upon the violin and singing: 

" From my razor, made some fish, 
From my fish, I made a baby, 
From the babe, a violin." 

But he was a liar, and did not dare to tell that he 
had stolen the child. He continued singing, and 
would give no reply to any questions, till at last 
his father growing angry, said: "O, you rascal!" 
and aimed a blow at him with a heavy stick of 
wood, which striking him on the head, laid him 
dead on the ground. And there was nothing 
more of the mischievous Monkey who cut off his 
tail. 



The Cock and the Turkey Buzzard. 
A Cock once met a Turkey Buzzard, and per- 
ceiving his ill savor, said; "O, Turkey Buzzard, 
why is it that you have such an unpleasant smell?" 
''Because I am accustomed to eat my food very 
highly seasoned," replied the Buzzard. "But why 
have you no feathers on you head?" "Because I 
always put much oil on my head and was accus- 
tomed to wear a black hat and the sun made my 
head so hot that the feathers all fell out." "But 
why have you no feathers on your throat ?" further 
inquired the Cock. "O, because I always wore a 
silk cravat, and on account of the heat the feathers 
would not grow," said the Buzzard. "But why do 
you walk with such a jump in you gait?" "Be- 
cause rich men always walk so, and I imitate 
them." "But tell me why are your legs so rough ?" 
"O, that is the effect of wearing silk stockings for 
a long time." Thus the Buzzard answered all the 
Cock's questions, but the Cock did not believe 
him, and only put him down as a great liar. 

Loft 



The Toad and the Buzzard. 

Once upon a time a Toad and a Buzzard were 
co-sponsors. One day the Buzzard came to the 
house of the Toad and in course of conversation 
told him that the next day he was going to a 
grand festa or dance. "Where is it?" inquired the 
Toad. "O, way up in the sky," said the Buzzard. 
''I should like to go," said the Toad. "But it is 
impossible," replied the Buzzard, "for you cannot 
fly and there is no way you can climb up so high," 
"Nevertheless I will go and will meet you there," 
said the Toad, "but do a little favor for me; I 
shall have hard work, so will you not carry for 
me my sack of festa clothes?" "Certainly I will," 
said the Buzzard. "At what time do you start," 
said the Toad. "O, very early." "My sack shall 
be all ready for you." "I will call for it," said 
the Buzzard. "Adios." May God go with you,"* 
said the Toad. Early the next morning the Toad 
put his clothes into his sack and then crept in 
himself. Soon the Buzzard came and called to the 
Toad's wife: "O, my co madre, where is my co- 
padre?" "O, he has gone long ago." "But did 
he leave a sack for me?" "O, yes; here it is 
ready." "Adios," said the Buzzard, swinging the 
sack on his back. The Buzzard flew way up in 
the sky and arriving at the house of the festa said 
to the Master of the Feast. "Have you seen my 
co-padre, the Toad?" "No," was the reply, "but 
he may be here, for there are a great many people 
and I have not seen all." "Well, here is his sack 
which I brought for him," said the Buzzard. 

*A common expression at parting, on the Amazon. 



— 24 — 

"Leave it there under the table and I will give it 
to him." The Buzzard went out to the dance, and 
the Toad watching his chance crept out of the sack, 
dressed in his festa clothes and also went to the 
dance. Later, meeting the Buzzard, the Toad 
said: "At what time do you go home, co-padre?" 
"O, soon after dinner." "And will you take my 
sack with you?" "O, yes," said the Buzzard, 
"leave it under the table." Now, the dinner was 
at four o'clock. The Toad, leaving the dinner 
early, crept into the sack. Soon came the Buzzard 
and lifting the sack walked along the road from 
the house of the feast. After going some distance 
he said to himself: "Let me see what good things 
my co-padre is taking home from the feast" and 
opening the sack suddenly, there sat the Toad 
winking at the unexpected light. "O, you rascal," 
said the Buzzard, "this is the way you go to the 
feast!" and being angry he went away leaving the 
Toad in the road. The Toad, thus left to himself, 
said: "How am I to get down?" At last, seeing 
a large flat stone, he said: "I will get on this 
stone and let it fall with me." And so he did, 
clinging to the stone. But the stone in falling 
turned over and striking the ground with great 
force, the Toad was crushed to death. The wife 
of the Toad waited long for her husband's return. 
One day, meeting the Buzzard, she said: "O, Buz- 
zard, where is your co-padre?". "He is a rascal," 
said the Buzzard, "you gave him to me in the 
sack," and he told the Toad's wife the whole 
story. So together they went to search for the 
Toad, and found his body crushed under the 
stone. So the Toad's wife was a widow, and the 
Buzzard was sorry, as he had caused the death of 
his co-padre. 



25 



The Deer and the Jaboti. 

A Jaboti once meeting a Deer, said, "O, my; 
friend Deer, which of us do you think can run 
the faster?" "I can," replied the Deer. "Well, 
suppose to-morrow we have a trial?" said the 
Jaboti. "Agreed; where shall I meet you?" "At 
the bank of the river; you can run there, but I 
am more accustomed to run in the woods," said 
the Jaboti." To this the Deer readily consented, 
for he thought, anywhere I can run faster than 
that silly Jaboti, and if he runs in the woods and 
I in the open country, I need make no effort at 
all. After the Deer had left him the Jaboti went 
into the woods and called together all his relations 
and told them he was to run a race with the Deer. 
Then he directed them the next morning to go 
into the woods all along the bank of the river, 
and to stretch themselves there at intervals, and 
when in running the Deer called, "where are you, 
Jaboti?" the Jaboti just in advance of the Deer 
should reply, "I am here, Deer." It was so 
agreed, and the next morning, early, the relations 
of the Jaboti having taken their stations, he him- 
self went to the bank of the river to meet the 
Deer. They were soon both ready to start, and 
the Jaboti going just into the edge of the woods, 
called out, "Are you ready, Deer?" "Yes, I am 
ready," said the Deer. "Then, run," and off 
started the Deer, thinking, "I shall soon leave 
behind that stupid Jaboti." But the Jaboti only 
crept a little further into the woods and waited. 
The Deer ran rapidly some distance, then stopping, 
he called, "Where are you, Jaboti?" The Jaboti 
just in advance of him, replied, "I am here, 



— 26 — 

Deer," The Deer, astonished, said, ''Why, I did 
not think that that Jaboti could run so fast," and 
he started off again. After awhile he again 
stopped and called, "Where are you, Jaboti?" 
The answer came just ahead of him, "I am here, 
Deer." "The Devil is in that Jaboti;" how he 
does run," said the Deer, and off he went again. 
This time he ran very fast, and stopped, saying, 
"I am now certainly ahead of that Jaboti." But 
on his calling out, "Where are you, Jaboti?" the 
same reply, "I am here, Deer," came from the 
woods just in advance of him. Thus the Deer 
ran on till he was completely exhausted, the same 
answer always coming from the woods, just ahead 
of him. At last, panting for breath, with his 
tongue hanging out of his mouth, he fell upon the 
sand. Then a Jaboti came out of the woods 
just before him, and going to the river, 
dipped up some water in his paw and poured it 
into the deer's mouth. The deer, somewhat re- 
covered, said: "O, Jaboti, notwithstanding my legs 
are twice as long as yours, you have more strength 
and can run faster. Then the deer went into the 
woods saying: "Adieu, Jaboti; I do not care to 
run any more races with you." And the Jabotis 
all came together and laughed. 



The Woman and the Devil. 

Once there was a Man who had a wife who was 
unfaithful to him. Often had he punished her 
when convinced of her infidelity, but all with no 
effect. Again and again she deceived him, em- 
bracing every opportunity. Yet, as she was a good 
cook and kept his house in good order, he did 



— 27.— 

not wish to send her away, but his mind was 
sorely exercised to discover how he could circum- 
vent her. Finally he thought, if I can only get 
the Devil to help me, I can outwit her. One day, 
walking in the woods, he ' met the Devil in the 
form of a Man, walking in the path. Recognizing 
him he called: "Diabo, Diabo ?" "What do you 
want?" replied the Devil. "I need your assistance," 
said the Man; and he told the Devil the whole 
story. The Devil promised to aid him, the Man 
agreeing to give in payment anything the Devil 
might ask, if he would only make his wife constant. 
SO it was agreed that the Devil should go home 
with the Man and remain in the house in the char- 
acter of a servant. Going to the house, the Man 
introduced the Devil to his wife as a new servant, 
and the next morning, going away to fish as usual, 
left him in charge. No sooner was he gone, than 
the Woman, who knew the Devil, and suspected 
why he was in the house, said to herself: "How 
shall I outwit this Devil and be alone in the house ?" 
Going to the door to warn her lover if he approached, 
she said to the Devil, to keep him busy: "Clean 
up all the house." The Devil, keeping his eyes on 
the Woman, quickly swept and put the house in 
order. "Now go and bring me some water," said 
she, giving him two large "baldes"* to fill. The 
Devil ran quickly to the "port" of the river near 
the house, and dipping the "baldes," filled them, 
returning almost immediately. "Turn it into the 
pots, then go again," and the Devil went, return- 
ing so quickly that the Woman was hopeless of 

*A calabash hollowed out, only a small hole being left in the 
top by which it is filled, and by inserting the fingers in which 
it is carried, used exclusively on the Amazons in place of 
pails. 



/ 



thus eluding him. Taking the "baldes" from him, 
she gave him a sack and told him to bring the 
water in that. The Devil ran and easily filled it, 
but the water all ran out on the way to the house, 
and he saved only a few drops. "I cannot carry 
water in this sack," said the Devil. "Then fill 
that pan, for I wish to take a bath," said 
the Woman." Now, the pan was full of holes 
and the water all ran out before the Devil ar- 
rived at the house. But he went to and fro so 
quickly that the Woman saw she could not get him 
away from the house, and saw that she must con- 
trive to frighten him. "Go and make a fire" she 
said ; and the Devil went to the cooking shed and 
by blowing the embers which were smouldering 
between the stones he soon had a brisk fire. 
While he was gone the Woman pulled two long 
hairs from her body and taking them to the Devil 
said, "My Husband wishes these two little irons 
well heated and made straight as a needle." Now 
if a mortal can deceive the Devil, the Devil runs 
away and leaves him." The Devil suspecting noth- 
ing, took the two hairs and went to the fire. Hold- 
ing one close to the fire it shrivelled up like the 
hairs of a Mulatto and on holding it close it grew 
more twisted. * I must not hold it below, the fire 
is too hot' thought ihe Devil ; so he held both the 
hairs up over the fire ; but the flames flashed up 
suddenly, shrivelled and consumed the hairs, and 
nothing remained but a bad smell. Then the 
Devil seeing he had been deceived ran with a cry 
into the Woods, and the Lover of the Woman came 
to the house as usual. • This story shows that if a 
Woman chooses to deceive'her Husband, he cannot 
prevent it, not even if he has the Devil to help 
him. 



— 2 9 



The Mother and the Lovers. 

Once there was a Woman who had a very beau- 
tiful Daughter. All the young Men in the neigh- 
borhood wished to marry her, but few found any 
favor with the Mother. There were two, however, 
to whom she was favorable, but she herself was 
in doubt which to choose. One Sunday one of 
these came to call ; after a while spent in talking, 
the Mother said : " O ! my Daughter,. I have no cof- 
fee to offer this young Man ; go to the " roca," 
(the field or clearing,) and cut two long pieces of 
sugar cane for him." The Daughter went and soon 
returned with two long sticks which the Mother 
gave to the visitor. Taking out his knife he strip- 
ped the cane except the three top joints ; then he 
sucked the juice, throwing aside the bagasse, and 
when he had finished he threw away also the three 
top joints, for they being not so well ripened are 
not very sweet. Afterwards he talked with the 
Mother and asked her to give him the Daughter 
in marriage. She replied " It is impossible for me 
to give you my Daughter for your Wife. I gave 
you cane to suck and you sucked it all until you 
came to the part that was less sweet and that you 
threw away. And that is the way you will do 
with my Daughter ; you will enjoy her when she 
is young and sweet, but when she becomes old you 
will grow weary of her and cast her aside ; I can- 
not give you my Daughter ; you must seek some 
one else for a Wife." The young Man went sadly 
away and chanced to meet in the woods the other 
Lover going to make a call at the Girl's house. To 
him he told the whole story, bemoaning his ill-for- 
tune. No sooner had they parted than the second 



— 3° — 

Lover hastened on to the house. He was well re- 
ceived, and after awhile the Mother not suspecting 
that her device was known, sent her Daughter as 
before to cut two long sticks of sugar cane. She 
gave these to the young Man who peeled them and 
eat them, sucking the joints to the very point, 
rejecting only the " bagasse." Afterwards he 
asked the Mother to give him the Daughter 
for his Wife. "It is well" said the Mother, " f 
will give you my Daughter ; for you know how 
to appreciate my sugar cane and have sucked it 
all even to the point. From this I know that 
you will not leave my Daughter when she becomes 
old and is less sweet." Meeting the othSr young 
Man, the successful Lover told him of his good 
fortune, at which the other exclaimed, " O! What 
a fool I was not to know how to suck cane, and 
how much bigger fool to tell you ! 



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